


Mind Reader

by shnuffeluv



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Broken Families, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 10:50:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17579462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/shnuffeluv
Summary: Angst with no happy ending. Everyone has been ignoring Patton, and Virgil can't watch it anymore.





	Mind Reader

Virgil and Patton didn’t know exactly how it worked. Virgil could sense when something was off with Patton, and he’d invite Patton to his room. Sometimes Patton would talk, sometimes not, but Virgil was always able to piece together what was bothering him, no matter how little Patton said.

On one hand, Virgil wished Patton would talk more. Having to do…whatever it was that allowed him to make sense of Patton’s chopped sentences was exhausting, and it made both of them feel emotionally drained. On the other, he understood. Neither Roman nor Logan were letting Patton speak much if at all, and Thomas was letting them do it. On top of that, they kept speaking down to him, expecting him to play dumb, when Patton was anything but. It made Virgil furious, but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it. He was listened to now, but only as much as Patton was, and that was increasingly less the longer time went on.

It was after another day of this relentless shutting up that Patton stumbled into Virgil’s room, close to tears. Virgil did what he could to console the moral side, but there wasn’t much that could be done when Patton was this distraught but be there and let him mumble about whatever came into his head until he felt better.

As Patton’s tears ebbed away, he sat up on Virgil’s bed, only to sink out. Virgil sighed. Thomas was summoning them again, which meant Patton would be silenced, again. Virgil transported himself to Thomas’ apartment, to see Roman and Logan in a heated debate, Thomas trying to get them to calm down, and Patton watching silently. Thomas looked over to Virgil and sagged in relief. “Virgil, can you get these two to stop arguing? Patton hasn’t even tried to help.”

The irritation was clear in Thomas’ voice, and Virgil’s fury rose. How  _dare_  Thomas say that as if Patton was to blame? After being shut up so many times, what was Patton expected to do? “What are they even fighting about?” he asked stiffly.

Roman indignantly cried, “Logan’s idea for the next video is ridiculous! There’s no way anyone would want to watch it!”

Logan scoffed. “Oh, right. Because  _you’re_  the only one who can come up video ideas, my  _mistake_.”

Virgil pulled up his hood over his head and pulled on the strings. Now was not the time to yell at them, he could  _feel_  what Patton was thinking, just below the surface, and if he lost it now, it would all spill out.

“Virgil, tell Roman that he’s being a self-centered moron,” Logan insisted.

_Oh no_ , Virgil thought to himself.

“Virgil, tell Logan that he could never understand genius, even if it slapped him in the face!” Roman retaliated.

The demands continued. Virgil tugged harder on the hoodie strings and growled, and he could hear his voice starting to distort, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Virgil–” the rest of Logan’s sentence was lost to time.

“Virgil–” Roman was yelling so loud Virgil couldn’t make it out.

Thomas’ impatience was rising, and he finally snapped. “Virgil, do something!”

Virgil snapped upright, throwing off his hoodie, all filter lost, the only thing in his mind what Patton was thinking and feeling. “ _It’s not like they’d listen to me if I said anything, they’ve been shutting me up for months,”_ Virgil said, the distortion in his voice sounding like an overlap of Patton’s and his together. “ _At first I thought you guys just didn’t think my advice helped, but then I realized you guys weren’t even listening. You think I’m stupid, but I’m not. I’ve never been. Virgil at least, still believes in–”_ his speech was cut off with a sharp tug on his arms, clapping both of his hands over his mouth. Virgil closed his eyes and fought against this, he  _knew_  he could if he tried hard enough… _You guys don’t even care about me anymore_ , the thought was as clear as day in Virgil’s head, and he looked over to Patton, who was ash white and staring at Virgil in terror.

In one second, Virgil stopped fighting, forcing himself to relax, and let his hands drop to his sides the second he could. Logan and Roman were both staring at him, while Thomas was looking at Patton. “Patton…” Thomas trailed off. “Was that you? I mean, were those your…?”

Patton swallowed and didn’t even try to force a smile. He said the words Virgil had tried to say, his voice more soft and broken than Virgil’s ever could be. “You guys don’t even care about me anymore.”

Logan reeled back like he had been smacked. Roman froze with his mouth halfway open for an argument that never came. Thomas was expressionless, but if Virgil could feel Patton’s hollowness, he was sure Thomas was feeling it as well.

“Patton, I…” Thomas stopped, words refusing to leave his mouth. “I’ll make it up to you,” he promised. “I’ll make sure you’re listened to from now on.”

Patton offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered. But they all knew the damage had been done. And while Patton might have once been a trusted friend, he might never feel quite as accepted as he once was.

**Author's Note:**

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